Machado Says Rubio Plan Sets Venezuela Presidential Election for 2027

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said Thursday that the United States has proposed presidential elections in Venezuela in 2027, according to Reuters, in her first substantive public remarks since returning to the country last weekend.

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio has laid out a sequence of steps for moving toward a democratic transition that makes clear that presidential elections will be held in 2027,” Machado said, as quoted by Reuters. She added that she would work to ensure every eligible Venezuelan can cast a ballot in any future election, the wire service reported.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, in her first substantive remarks since returning to the country over the weekend, said the United States has suggested presidential elections in the country take place next year https://t.co/yijysaAyUH pic.twitter.com/zhg2axw8PT

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 29, 2026

The Washington Post reported that Machado, speaking to supporters in Caracas, endorsed the U.S. plan for free elections as soon as next year and called the country’s transition to democracy “irreversible.”

Credit to Trump and Rubio

Machado thanked President Trump and Secretary Rubio for their roles in the ouster of Nicolás Maduro, according to Reuters, and described the relationship between the United States and Venezuela as one of mutual respect that serves both nations’ interests.

Reuters noted that the Trump administration captured Maduro in a January raid. Maduro now faces U.S. drug trafficking and torture charges, which he denies, the outlet reported.

Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, returned to Venezuela on Sunday after several failed attempts earlier this year, according to Reuters.

A complicated relationship with Washington

Her return could strain ties with the Trump administration, Reuters reported. Washington has said Machado has every right to be in Venezuela, but President Trump has also praised acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to the outlet.

The administration supports negotiations between the Rodríguez government and opposition groups on overhauling Venezuela’s electoral council and top court before the next elections, Reuters reported. Those talks do not include Machado’s Vente Venezuela movement, the outlet said, and Rubio has previously said he expects Machado to support them.

Machado said Thursday she was pleased that Rodríguez had also backed elections in remarks earlier in the day, according to Reuters.

Machado said people who help Venezuela return to democracy will need guarantees, and she called for a transitional justice process, a truth commission and an overhaul of the state security forces, Reuters reported.

Background

Machado was barred from running in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, according to Reuters. Her stand-in candidate won decisively based on tallies the opposition released at the time, but the country’s institutions backed Maduro, the outlet reported.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Machado’s remarks.

For Washington, a 2027 election would mark the next major step in the post-Maduro transition the administration set in motion with January’s raid. Whether Machado ends up at the center of that process, or on the outside of the talks the administration is backing, remains an open question heading into next year.

Sources

• Reuters on X
• Reuters report (via Devdiscourse)
• The Washington Post

Reporting by Daily Beltway.